Mountain reindeer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rangifer tarandus tarandus |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Family: | Cervidae |
| Subfamily: | Capreolinae |
| Genus: | Rangifer |
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R. t. tarandus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Rangifer tarandus tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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The mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) is a special type of reindeer. It lives in the mountains of western Scandinavia, especially Norway. People also call it the Norwegian reindeer, northern reindeer, Common reindeer, or mountain caribou. In Norway, it has local names like fjellrein, villrein, or tundra-rein.
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What is a Mountain Reindeer?
Mountain reindeer are medium to large animals. They are a type of even-toed ungulate. This means they have hooves with an even number of toes. They have a very thick double coat. This coat keeps them warm during the cold Norwegian winters.
Male reindeer, called bulls, usually weigh between 70 and 150 kilograms (154 to 331 pounds). Female reindeer, called cows, are smaller. They weigh about 40 to 100 kilograms (88 to 220 pounds). Both male and female reindeer grow antlers. Male reindeer use their antlers to fight each other. Female reindeer use theirs to protect their food or territory. This is similar to how some bovids use their horns.
In summer, their fur is mostly pale brown. They have white rumps. Some reindeer have black legs and creamy-white necks. In winter, their coat can be cream-white. They might have beige shoulders and backs. Sometimes, their whole coat is cream-white.
Genetic Differences
Scientists once thought all northern and southern reindeer were the same. But now we know they are different. Genetic tests show that reindeer in Dovrefjell, central Norway, are related to reindeer from Beringia. Beringia is a land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. Reindeer in southern Norway, like on the Hardangervidda plateau, are different. They are related to reindeer from southern Europe. These southern reindeer might have come from the Finnish forest reindeer (R. t. fennicus). This type of reindeer used to live in parts of Eastern Europe.
Where Do They Live?
Wild mountain reindeer are only found in western Scandinavia today. Most of them live in central and southern Norway. Norway has about 70,000 to 80,000 wild mountain reindeer. The largest groups are in Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag, and northern Hedmark. A smaller group, about 6,000 to 7,000 reindeer, lives on the Hardangervidda plateau.
Protecting Mountain Reindeer
The Norwegian government helps manage wild reindeer populations. Mountain reindeer in Norway were fully protected from 1902 to 1906. But after this, their numbers dropped again. Around the early 1900s, there were only about 2,700 reindeer. In the 1930s, rules were made to limit hunting. These rules, along with reindeer moving to new areas, helped the population grow. By the mid-1990s, the wild reindeer population grew to over 30,000. Today, people often hunt mountain reindeer for food or as trophies.
Wild vs. Domestic Reindeer
Norway has about 1.2 million domestic reindeer. These reindeer have been very important for a long time. People hunted them for food and used them to pull plows. Domestic reindeer are only partly tame. They will still run wild if they get the chance.
Reindeer meat is a common food in Norway. This is especially true in the north, where the Sami people live. In these cold areas, domestic cattle are rare. They cannot survive the harsh winters as well as reindeer can. In southern Norway, reindeer meat is often eaten as a traditional Sunday meal or during special events.
Natural Enemies
Mountain reindeer are very large animals. Because of their size, they have few natural enemies besides human hunters. However, lynx and wolverines sometimes hunt young, old, or sick reindeer.
The brown bear is strong enough to attack an adult female reindeer. But bears usually prefer to eat animals already killed by lynx or wolverines. They might also steal their prey instead of hunting for themselves. Wolves are also strong enough to hunt adult reindeer. But wolves are strictly controlled in Norway. A wolf pack would likely be found and stopped before it could hunt many reindeer.
The lynx is the biggest natural threat to mountain reindeer. Lynx are small and good at ambushing their prey. They are too small to attack a healthy adult male or female reindeer. So, they usually hunt calves. Wolverines use a similar hunting method. But unlike lynx, wolverines can sometimes take down adult reindeer.
